Display apparatus.



T. LENNOX.

DISPLAY APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 1o, 1909.

Patented Feb. L 11910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

T. LENNOX. DISPLAY APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED A .1ol 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.. un Q 2 5: H I omini Patented Feb. l, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'JI.A]|3O'J. LENNOX, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNO OF ONE-HALF T0 ARTHUR B.

HIGMAN AND ONE-HALF T ALONZO L. LOOMIS, 0F BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN.

DISPLAY APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1910.

Application led April 10, 1909. Serial No. 489,067.

zen of the United States, residing at Ghicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful yImprovement in Display Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming u part of this specification.

' My invention relates to display apparatus whereby a traveling belt containing matter to be displayed may -be intermittently arrested in its movement, so that suliicient time may be given to observe each area of matter to be displayed, the machine 'of my invention including means whereby the movements of the display belt are' so timed and controlled that each individual area ofdisplay matter will be in register with the display opening before which the display belt travels, the mechanism being suchtha-t in the event of the display areas being out of register with the display opening when the belt stops, said display areas will ultimately be brought into register with the display opening in the continued operation of the appa-- ratus. By means of this mechanism, the display beltmay carry many distinct signs contained in areas that are distinct from each other, and which areas may be successively presented before and in register with the display opening in the cabinet containing the structure, it being impossible for the display areas'tocontinue to be out of register with the display opening if the machine is sutliciently continued in its 1ntermittent operation.

In practicing my invention, I preferably employ mechanism which causes travel of the display belt and braking or `checking traveling mechanism, which, 1n the normal operation of the machine,-causes the belt to cease in itsv travel before the mechanism operating to cause the travel ofl the belt has ceased to work, slippage occurring between the mechanism that causes 4the travel of the belt and the belt when the braking mechanism is applied to stop the travel of the belt.

In the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, a part of the braking mechanism is carried upon the belt itself, this part coy acting with the balance of the'braking mechanism to check the travel of the belt. ,If the part of the braking mechanism carried by the belt structure is not in proper position with respect to the balance of the braking mechanism, the mechanism that causes the travel of the belt (which mechanism acts intermittently) will occasion a movement of one, two or other sufficient number of eX- tended intermittent movements of the display belt thus being adapted to occur, again to restore the normal relation of the part of the braking mechanism carried by the display belt and the balance of the braking mechanism. The portion of the braking mechanism carried by the belt is subdivided into a plurality of elements distributed along the len th of the belt, the' distance between the a jacent braking elements longitudinally of the belt being equal to the distance coveredby the belt in each of its normal step-by-step movements.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawings,

4showing the preferred embodiment thereof,

view of the structure on line 2 2'of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectionalplan view of the structure on line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of a part of the structure online 4.- 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation showing an element of the braking 6o y the belt greater than the normal movement, d

mechanism carried upon the display belt v and a cooperating portion of the braking mechanism. Fig.- 6 is a'sectional elevation illustrating the mechanism that is employed tcr'bringin -thebrake into and outof action. Fig. 'isa view showing the relation` ship ofthe Aparts-illustratedV in Figs. and 6.

Like `parts are indicated by similar characters of iigures.`

The operating parts of thestructure of my invention are located in the rear of a of theV invention illustrated, is contained in the front face of a cabinet b that houses the reference throughout the diiierent display opening a,`which, inthe embodiment 1 distance to 'the rear of the display opening a as to permit of the interposition of suitable illuminating devices, such as electric lamps e1, between the display opening and the display belt. The belt is caused to travel upward by means of a positively driven roller d actuated in the manner to be hereinafter described, idler-rollers e serving to direct the belt in its movement while a presser-roller f bearing upon a part of the elt c as it'passes over the roller d, serves to maintain suitable engagement between the belt and the actuatin roller d to cause the actuating roller to e ect the travel of the belt whie permitting slippage between the. belt and the roller d when the belt is arrested in its movement `by the travelchecking -or braking mechanism, for the purpose which has been outlined. The operating roller d is driven by a sprocketchain engagin asprocket-Wheel g1 upon the ro ler d an a sprocket-wheel l1, intermittently driven by a suitable motor z', preferably an electric motor, which is brought into driving yrelation with the sprocketwheel i, by means of the parts now to be described. The motor z' drives. a belt c passing over a driving-pulleyZ, Whose shaft` carries a worm m that 1s 1n continued constant engagement with a worm-wheel n. The shaft of this worm-Wheel n carries a gear-Wheel 0 which has a limited number of teeth upon its periphery. This gear-wheel 0 is in coperative relation with a pinion p.

The elements o and p form parts of' a suitable intermittent gearing whose construction is yso well understood by those skilled in the art as not to require particular explanation nor illustration. Any suitable form of intermittent gearing may be interposed between the shaft of the .worinwheel n and the sprocket-wheel l1., and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the precise form of intermittent gearing illustrated. The gear-Wheel h, by being intermittently rotated, thus eects intermittent movement of the sp roeketchain g, and thereby intermittent rotation ofthe roller d.' The length i of the peripheral travel of the roller d and the lineal travel of the chain g exceeds the length of 'the display areas measured lon itudlnally of the belt and the length of t e display opening before which the belt appears, for the lpurpose which has been stated and which Wi l be further elucidated.

In order that each entire movement of the sprocket-chain g may not be fully imparted to the display belt, in the normal operation of the machine, I emplo mechanism to bring about an operative dissociation of the disp ay belt from the chain g and the roller d when a sufiicient movement of 'the display belt 0 has taken place, roperly to present the area to be displaye before the display opening. In practicing this feature of my invention, I desirably em loy braking mechanism, a part of which is is osed upon the longitudinal edges of the beit c, which part is subdivided into elements g which may be in the form of bulging eyelets, the spaces between adjacent bulging eyelets on each side of the display belt being equal to each intermittent ymovement that is to be imparted to the display belt. The balance of the braking mechanism includes a bar r extending across the display opening and behind the display belt and adapted to be moved toward and from they displa belt, serving, when moved toward the display belt, to press the same toward bearingplates s, so that the rising eyelets will be prevented from passing between the elements 1' and 8, thereby temporarily to check the upward movement of the display belt suliiciently long to permit the display area appearing .before the display opening prop- 'erly to-be observed, and serving, when moved away fromthe display belt, to permit of the passage of the adjacent eyelets between the elements r and s, so that the next intermittent movement of the display belt may occur. The brake-bar r is carried upon and is in fixed relation to a rock-shaft t, which rock-shaft also carries Va shoe u that is likewise in fixed relation with the rock-shaft. The chain g carries a series of projections 'v that are adapted to ride upon the shoe u so as to force the forward movement of sai shoe, and thereby such a rotary movement of thev rock-shaft t as will .bring the brakebar -r against the belt c, for the purpose which has been stated. In order that the projections o` ma be adapted to this purpose, I locate behind the chain a resistingplate fw which prevents the c ain g from ulging toward the rear during the time an enlargement v is passing over the shoe u.

By means of the transmission mechanism intervening between the motor z' and the chain g, it is very apparent that each intermittent movement of the periphery of the roller cl accompanying intermittent movement of the chain g is in excess of each display area, that is, in excess of the distance between adjacent buttons upon a side of the belt c, so that it will be apparent that the element u, of the braking mechanism must have a vertical dimension sufficiently great to permit of continued engagement between an enlargement v and the element u 4during tinishing their excess movements, that is, during the time. the chain y and the rollorf/ are moving after the` display belt e has been stopped, vI have thus made it clear how the display belt c is arrested in its movement. while the chain g and the roller fl are allowed to continue in their movements to a slight extent, the purpose of which will now more fully appear. lf for any reason, the belt c should be prematurely checked in its movementso as to prevent the eyeletsor buttons I] from reaching the elements r and s before the travel of the chain g has stopped, or if there should be some slippage between the roller d and the display beltI c during the time the said display belt c should be moving. subsequent movement-s (one or more, as may be necessary) of the chain y] will, by reason of the excess of suchv movements, bring the buttons into their normal posit-ions respecting the elements 7" and s, so t-hat though the display areasmay for a time be out of register with the display opening, they will gradually be brought into register. Tn practice, I lind that al peripheral travel of the roller Z and the longitudinal travel of the sprocket-chain g three-fourths of an inch in excess of the normal intermittent movef,

ment of the display belt 0 is sufficient to preserve or restore the normal relation of the display belt cand the display opening behind which the belt is located.

The belt c is preferably endless,`as I am thereby enabled to cause it to travel uniformly in one direction. The beltmay be permitted to lie in folds, as indicated at the rear of the structure, it being unnecessary to provide any special means for taking up the slack in the belt.

lt. is obvious that many changes may be made in the embodiment of my invention herein shown and specifically described without departing from the spirit thereof, and l do not, therefore, Wish to be limited to the precise construction shown, 'as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A display apparatus including a belt to be displayed, an operating roller engaging the belt for effecting the travel thereof, mechanism for causing the` intermittent ro tation of said' roller, braking mechanism, and means `for intermittently causing' the same to operate upon the belt to be displayed during a part of the time the roller is in operation, the belt being adapted to have slippage with respect to the roller when the braking mechanism is in operation, whereby said belt is arrested in its movement, said braking mechanism having a part provlded upon the belt, which part is subdivided into elements distributed longitudinally of the ,belt and spaced apart substantially to check the extent of each intermittent movement that the belt is to have, one of said elements being engaged by a eomplemental portion of the braking mechanism when said brak-- ing mechanism is operated in order to arrest the movement of the belt.

2. A display apparatus including a belt to be displayed, an operating roller engaging the belt for effecting the travel thereof, mechanism for causing the intermittent rotation of said roller, braking mechanism, and means for intermittently causing the same to opera-te upon the belt to be displayed during a part of the time the roller is in operation, the belt being adapted lto have slippage with respect to the roller when the braking mechanism is in operation, whereby said belt is arrested in its movement.

3. A` display apparatus including ay belt to be displayed, an operating roller engaging the belt for eectingthe travel thereof, braking mechanism, and means for intermittently causing the same to operate upon the belt to be displayed during a part, of the time the roller is 1n operation, the belt being adapted to have slippage with respect to the roller when the braking mechanism is .in operation, whereby said belt is arrested in its movement, said braking mechanism having a part provided upon the belt, which part is subdivided into elements distributed longitudinally of the belt and spaced apart substantially to check the extent of each intermittent movement that the belt is tohave,

one of said elements being engaged by a com-` plemental portion of the braking mechanism when said braking mechanism is operated in order to arrest the movement of the belt.

4. A display apparatus including a. belt to be displayed, an operating roller engaging the belt for effecting the travel thereof, braking mechanism, and means for intermittently causin the same to operate upon the belt to be displayed during a part of the time the roller is in operation, the belt being adapted to have slippage with respect to the roller when the braking mechanism is in operation, whereby said belt is arrested in its movement.

5. A display apparatus including a belt to be displayed, intermittently operating means for effecting intermittent movement of the belt, and means for arresting the intermittent movements of the belt during a part of the time the aforesaid means is in action, the belt having slippage with respect to the means that causes the belt to travel when the movement of the belt is arrested by the second aforesaid means.

6. A display apparatus including a belt to be displayed, means for effecting travel of the belt. and intermittentl operatin means In vvitness whereof, lI hereunto subscribe for arresting the travel o the belt uring` a my name this 8th day of April A. D., 1909. part of the time theaforesaid means 1s in action the belt having slippage with respect TALBOT LENNOX' 5 to the means that causes the belt to travel Witnesses: when the movement of the beltis arrested G. L. CRAGG,

by the second aforesaid ineens. .l L. G. S'rnon. 

